You know that you’re a good doubles player when you’re ASKED to be someone's partner to compete with in an upcoming club tournament.
You know that you're a REALLY GOOD doubles player when you're asked to TRAVEL together to compete in a regional tournament.
You know that you're a REALLY GOOD doubles player when you're asked to TRAVEL together to compete in a regional tournament.
You know that you a REALLY, REALLY GOOD doubles player when you’re asked to compete together in the National Championships.
Clive Caldwell on the "T" during a pro match at the UClub
The answer? It's being willing and able to rewire the singles circuits.
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You know that you are a good doubles player when you are equally good playing BOTH walls. (Conversely, you're NOT that great of a doubles player or partner if you THINK that you can play both sides equally well.😉)
You know that you're a good doubles player if you understand the tricky balance as to when to strike your own shot or to set up your partner who is positioned for a better shot. It's feeling the flow of the match and keeping you and your partner engaged as a team and not just as two singles players in the same court.
You know that you are a good doubles partner when you are able to hit complimentary shots to bring out the most from your sidekick's game.
You know that you're a good doubles partner when you're always looking after and protecting your buddy whether it be on or off the court.
You know that you are a good doubles player when you are alert and ready to move to cover your comrade-in-arms if he/she has left an area of his/her side of his/her court undefended. (A player’s position on the “T” applies in doubles as it does in singles. - JL)
You know that you are a good doubles partner when you have the patience and resolve to roll with the growing pains of breaking in a new teammate or are the player who is being broken in.
And ultimately, you know you’re a good doubles player if you are part of a winning team.
It begs the question of how does one become a doubles player let alone become a good doubles partner?
After all, squash was introduced to each of us as an individual gladiatorial sport requiring self-reliance with a singular focus.
The answer? It's being willing and able to rewire the singles circuits.
One needs to become "Doublized". When a player is shown that there is a nuanced collaborative version of the game, the dyed-in-the-wool singles player needs to leave behind the slog-in-the-mud mind-set of playing singles, see the “error of his ways”😉, and take the leap of faith and give the multi-layered game of doubles a try. It requires re-wiring the old singles synapses in the brain, and understanding that a lob or a timely set-up shot can be more effective rather than attempting a rash, imprudent, impetuous, non-percentage flamboyant back court struck reverse corner. (Not surprising, since squashers see themselves as heroic. - JL) During rallies, winning the point is not only decided by striking the go-for-broke emphatic shot, but by the shot NOT taken - thereby setting up your partner for a better shot. It can’t be overstated that cultivating one’s racquet skills with the combined balance of patience, aggressiveness, and efficiency for the good of the team is vital. Most want to skip this elusive recipe of mixing ingredients by not letting them settle in and marinate, but the great ones never, or rarely, ignore this essential process. They became great practitioners of the game by continually staying keen on situational rally evaluations as a result of the long hours of required reps - a formula that is intolerant of short-cuts.
For singles players, it’s puzzling when they get into conversations with doubles players who happily confess that they have given up singles, not because of age, but because doubles is more satisfying and rewarding to play. The transformation takes years in the making. Some try and fail. Most attempts are half-hearted. But the curious, persistent, and lucky ones enter squash Camelot.
After all.....one alone is blameworthy if one loses a singles match. At times, it’s quite a load to bear. But in doubles, one can blame one's partner if the team loses and one can take most of the credit if the team wins. Unlike singles, it’s a shared experience. The way I see it, it’s a win-win.
Next……what makes for a lousy partner😉
to be continued..........
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